Yeong-jeon was a man who rarely had second thoughts.
If he wants to eat, he will eat.
If he wants to not train, he will not train.
By that logic...
"I will jump and land on that ledge over there even if it cost me my legs!"
At the edge of the mountain, he took a deep breath as he looked down at the ledge leading to the cave. Although the ledge was large, from his vision it was as small as his thumb.
He clenched his fists, focusing on his qi reserves. What little was left pooled into his legs, steadying them for the jump. The air around him grew still, the wind seemingly waiting for his next move.
"Here goes nothing!"
Without a second thought, Yeong-jeon pushed off the edge, his body flying toward the narrow ledge below. For a brief moment, time seemed to slow. The mountain air whipped past his face, and the ground rushed up to meet him.
With a grunt, he twisted his body midair, aiming his feet toward the ledge. His heart pounded in his ears, his qi running thin, but the ledge came closer, inch by inch.
Clenching his jaw, he prepared for impact. With such a small frame, he would, expectantly, break his leg. He poured every last bit of qi in his dantian into his legs.
Boom!
He landed with a large boom, his feet landing on the solid ground. The force was absorbed mostly by his legs, the remaining spreading throughout the body.
Crack!
Crack?
The impact jarred his bones, sending a shock of pain up his legs. He was lying on the ledge completely flat, his cheek meeting the ground. Even though he landed perfectly with his legs, it could not absorb the whole force. Traveling through his whole body, the force sent him to drop on the ground.
'That might have been a bad idea...'
Yeong-jeon glanced at his legs and was met with a horrifying sight. To be expected, his leg was pouring blood as his broken bones punctured his flesh.
There's no use in regretting something you chose.
'That'll fix itself later...'
He looked ahead at the cave. Surprisingly, there was a small orb that provided it with light. There were two empty alcohol vases, and alongside them was one unopened vase.
A smile appeared on his face.
Maybe it was because he reminisced about something in the past or because he was met with a vase of alcohol, he was happy nonetheless.
'The Thunder Resilience Pill!"
Before indulging in pleasure, he had to fix his broken body. He climbed the mountain because of this, something that can help the sect and help him mold the disciples.
Yeong-jeon dragged his body with his two hands, entering the small cave as his broken legs trailed limply behind him.
Inside the cave, the air was cooler, providing some relief. And he saw the small box where the pills were encased in. The problem was...
It was placed too high, and he couldn't reach it.
"What?! What the hell is this?! Even if I stand on my knees, it is still impossible for me to reach that! Curse this young body!"
His legs, still broken and useless, left him unable to stand, let alone leap up to grab it. The box glinted mockingly in the dim light, as if aware of how tantalizingly out of reach it was.
"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?!" he muttered, banging his fist on the stone floor in frustration.
He tried to push himself up on his knees but quickly realized that the height difference was still too great. Even if his body wasn't damaged, it would be a challenge. Now, with his legs a mangled mess, it seemed almost impossible.
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"Father! Father caused this!"
-Why are you blaming it on me?
"Because you did it!"
Yeong-jeon looked around the cave in desperation, trying to find something, anything, that could help him get closer to the shelf. But the cave was bare, save for the empty vases and that tantalizing orb of light. His mind raced, thinking of a solution.
'Think! Think!'
A thought crossed his mind. His qi was slowly regenerating thanks to his deep breathing, but not enough for any complex techniques. However, perhaps... he could use the remnants of his qi to create a small boost, enough to reach the box.
"Fine, if this body can't do it, then my qi will."
He steadied his breath, closing his eyes as he pooled what little qi remained in his core. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. Focusing, he sent the energy to his arms, which began to tingle with the faintest hint of power.
With a grunt, he slammed his hands onto the ground, propelling himself upward just enough to extend his arm toward the box.
"Almost...!"
His fingers grazed the bottom of the shelf but fell short, his body crashing back to the floor.
"I climbed a mountain just to be met with another mountain. Great. Just great!"
His palms glowed as he raised it, preparing another attempt to reach the shelf. He tightened his jaw as he kept pouring more and more qi on his hand, slowly engulfing his arm.
Boom!
His palms pressed harder into the stone, muscles straining as he gathered more qi. The air around him seemed to tremble under the force of his will, the faint light in the cave flickering. With one final push, he flung himself upward again, arm outstretched toward the box.
However...
The one thing he didn't pay attention to came to bite him.
Thwack!
"Argh!"
Yeong-jeon's back slammed on the cave's ceiling. The box of pills was reachable, but the sudden force shook his insides.
"Take the box!!"
Despite the pain coursing through his body after slamming into the ceiling, Yeong-jeon's fingers finally closed around the edge of the box. He could feel the weight of it as he brought it down to the ground with him.
"Got it," he gasped, his chest heaving from the strain. He clutched the box in his trembling hands, ignoring the searing pain in his back and legs.
With a grunt of effort, he opened the box to reveal the glowing Thunder Resilience Pill inside. The electric-blue glow of the pill seemed to radiate warmth as if it was calling out to him, promising relief.
The box was half-filled with the blue pills, more than enough for the whole sect. Yeong-jeon glanced at his legs.
"I can't cross my legs at the moment..."
There was only one sitting position to cultivate; it was the lotus position. There, the body was upright, connecting the three dantians.
If he took a pill while his belly was kissing the ground, it would be a waste, insufficient, and the effect would be no better than drinking some herbal tea.
Yeong-jeon cursed under his breath. He knew the Thunder Resilience Pill wouldn't work if his body wasn't aligned properly, especially in his current condition. The potency of the pill required full concentration and the right posture to harness its full power.
He gritted his teeth. "Of course, it's never easy."
He had to make a decision. With his legs shattered and back throbbing from the impact, the idea of even attempting to sit upright seemed impossible, but there was no other choice.
Slowly, using what little strength he had, he pushed his upper body up with his arms. Every inch felt like agony as his broken legs dragged behind him. His qi reserves were still low, and the pain gnawed at his concentration. Yet, Yeong-jeon didn't stop.
Grimacing, he folded one leg with his hand, wincing as the broken bones scraped against each other. His body trembled, sweat dripping down his brow, but he managed to force himself into a rough approximation of the lotus position. His legs were barely aligned, his body teetering on the edge of collapsing again.
"That's... a tad bit better."
With a shaking hand, he grabbed one of the Thunder Resilience Pills from the box and held it up to his face.
"You better work."
He popped the pill into his mouth, swallowing it whole. The moment it hit his stomach, a rush of warmth surged through his body. His qi began to churn, moving faster and faster, as the pill's energy activated. It spread through his meridians, like lightning traveling through his veins. His dantian roared to life, absorbing the power, and his legs began to tingle as the pill worked its magic.
His body glowed, the hard blue light escaping through the holes of his face.
The qi was threatening to escape.
"Arghh!!!"
He clenched his jaw tight, not letting any energy of the pill escape. His whole body began to levitate and the air began to warm.
'If I can't fully absorb this... I would rather die!'
The pill was the lowest grade in his past, of course, it has impurities. However, you have to sift the impurities from the pure energy of the pill.
Although the physicians at the time were experts in their craft, this pill was made with lowly ingredients.
The greatest mistake a martial artist could ever make was not focusing on their foundation.
They may have large qi reserves but those reserves were mostly impure. In the long run, those impurities will only harm the body.
'I have to separate the wheat from the shaft. Even if it means leaving only a quarter of this pill's energy.'
If you wish for your foundation to be as steady as a mountain, the long way is the only path.
Shortcut to greatness?
Whoever said that was a fool.
There were no such things as shortcuts. Impatience will kill a man sooner or later. Failure is the only way to greatness.
He guided the energy slowly, deliberately, through his meridians, filtering out the impurities as best as he could. His dantian strained under the pressure, but he kept his will firm, sifting the pure energy from the tainted mass. The faint glow around his body flickered as the qi ebbed and flowed, and the heat in the air began to die down.
"Focus... breathe... control..." he muttered through clenched teeth, each word a reminder to stay disciplined.
Now that he had guided it through his meridians, there was one step left.
Although the pill's energy was comparable to an ocean, there were many impurities in it. As it neared his lower dan tian, he separated the pure energy. And what was left was a few drops of pure energy.
'That's all?! I will get those physicians in heaven!'
-Please, spare them...
The few drops enveloped themselves on the small dantian, and he gathered the impure energies to be thrown away.
'Now! I've finished!'
Woooo!
A hard blue light engulfed the entire cave, lighting up the dark mountain and sending shockwaves through the surrounding area.
He was nearly finished.
'Gah!!'
His body tensed as the impurities started leaking out of his body like beads of sweat. His eye opened fully, releasing a light that was enough to blind a normal person.
"Aaarghhhh!!"
Yeong-jeon let out a primal scream as the impurities surged out of his body, dark wisps escaping his pores and evaporating into the air. His body convulsed under the force, but he gritted his teeth, determined not to let the energy go to waste. The light in the cave intensified, pulsating as if the mountain itself were alive with his qi.
After what felt like an eternity, the light began to dim, and the cave returned to its shadowed stillness. Yeong-jeon's chest heaved as he slumped forward, exhausted but victorious. His legs, though still weak, no longer throbbed with unbearable pain.
He graced his lower abdomen, feeling his small innate qi. It was small, not even half of an eyeball. He had taken the slow but rewarding path.
But...
"Isn't this too slow?"
He glanced at the box of pills with a mischievous smile.
'There are almost 40 disciples in total. And they all probably cannot circulate qi as I am. So, I am cutting these pills in 4 pieces for them.'
'Oh, how kind I am.'
-Stop hogging it you fool!
Yeong-jeon grabbed another piece of the Thunder Resilience Pill. And he opened his mouth wide.
'There is still more for me to use.'
He sneered and he felt his father's presence smacking himself.
'Don't worry. I'll share.'
He popped a small fragment into his mouth and leaned back against the cold cave wall, savoring the gradual spread of warmth through his veins.
Even though Yeong-jeon knew that moderation was key to proper cultivation, a part of him couldn't help but indulge. After all, he'd earned it. He survived the mountain climb, pushed through the pain, and emerged victorious. Why not enjoy the fruits of his labor a little more?
"Yes... the disciples will get their share... eventually," he mused to himself, half-jokingly, as the power coursed through him again.
Hopefully, he will share... someday.